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Handbook of Operating Procedures
Chapter 2 - Faculty and Academics
Publication Date: October 31, 2002
Policy Owner: VP for Academic Affairs

2.05 Faculty Appointments, Salaries, Payment Plans, Distribution of Checks

  1. Faculty Appointments
    1. All persons employed by The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) as a member of the faculty shall be given one of the titles specified in Section 2.02 of the Handbook of Operating Procedures. Texas Education Code Section 51.943 states that faculty members who are to be reappointed for the next academic year shall be offered a written contract at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the academic year. The terms and conditions of employment of all faculty members shall be embodied in a Memorandum of Appointment in the format and with the content specified in the standard forms found on The University of Texas System (UT System) Web site under the section for the Office of General Counsel of the UT System.
    2. Definitions:
      1. Memorandum of Appointment means an agreement between an institution of higher education and a faculty member that establishes the terms and conditions of the faculty member's employment, including the faculty member's salary for an academic year.
      2. "Faculty member" means a person who is employed full-time or part-time by an institution of higher education as a member of the faculty whose primary duties include teaching or research. The term does not include:
        1. a person employed in the classified personnel system of the institution or a person employed in a similar type of position if the institution does not have a classified personnel system;
        2. a person who holds faculty rank but who spends a majority of the person's time for the institution engaged in administrative or supervisory activities, including a chancellor, vice chancellor, president, vice president, provost, associate or assistant provost, dean, or associate or assistant dean.
    3. Reappointment of Faculty
      1. Tenured faculty and nontenured faculty who are to be reappointed shall be provided a Memorandum of Appointment at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the academic year.
      2. If UTSA is unable to offer a Memorandum of Appointment to a tenured faculty member or to a nontenured faculty member who is to be reappointed at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the next academic year, written notification shall be given within such time stating the reason(s) for the inability and specifying the date that a Memorandum of Appointment will be offered.
      3. If UTSA does not offer the tenured or nontenured faculty member a Memorandum of Appointment before the 61st day after the beginning of an academic year, the faculty member must be retained for that academic year on terms that are at least as favorable as the terms for the prior academic year unless UTSA and the faculty member agree upon different terms that are stated in a Memorandum of Appointment.
      4. If a nontenured faculty member, other than a faculty member appointed to a title provided for in Part One, Chapter III, Subdivision 1.623 of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents is not to be reappointed or is to receive a terminal year of appointment, notice shall be given the faculty member in accordance with Part One, Chapter III, Subdivision 6.23, Subsection 6.7, or Subsection 6.8 of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents.
    4. Appointment Period
      1. Academic-Year Appointment
        1. Tenured and tenure track and non-tenured non-tenure track faculty are normally appointed for the academic year September 1 through May 31, and may have a separate appointment for summer sessions.
        2. Such faculty members may also be appointed for either the Fall or Spring semester only. The Fall semester appointment is from September 1 through January 15. The Spring semester appointment is from January 16 through May 31.
        3. An employee may be compensated from a combination of teaching, research, administration, or other university accounts; he/she may not be appointed for more than 100% time.
      2. Summer Appointment

        An appointment for one summer session covers the period June 1 through July 15 or July 16 through August 31. An appointment for one ten-week summer term covers the period June 1 through August 31.

  2. Faculty Salaries

    A faculty member is compensated for summer session teaching at a rate based on his or her nine month academic rate for the period immediately preceding the summer session. No rate increases are permitted during the summer. The base salary rate of a faculty member during the summer cannot exceed the base salary rate paid for the same or similar services during the preceding long session; therefore, no faculty member can receive remuneration over the three-month summer period in excess of one-third of his or her previous long-term academic rate.

  3. Payment Plans for Faculty
    1. Faculty appointed for nine months may elect to be paid in twelve equal monthly payments. Faculty that do not make this election will have their insurance premiums for June, July, and August deducted from their May paycheck.
    2. A faculty member who wishes to receive his or her nine-month salary over twelve months in a given year must complete a Faculty Salary Allocation Agreement by September 1. This agreement is available in the Human Resources Office and the Human Resources Web page. Once the choice has been made, it will remain in effect until revoked by the individual, or until the faculty member's appointment status changes.
    3. Appointments may be from more than one account; however, salaries paid from grants (26 accounts) cannot be spread. After a salary allocation choice has been made, an appointment status change to a grant will result in automatic cancellation of the twelve month allocation, and the employee will be "paid up" and returned to a nine month status.

  4. Distribution of Checks
    1. Salary payments will be made once a month, and the salary checks of faculty who do not choose electronic direct deposit may be picked up at the department on the first working day of each month after 11:00 a.m.
    2. Each faculty member is urged to utilize direct deposit and have their paychecks electronically credited to their bank account. Direct Deposit Request forms are available in the Payroll Office.